md95065

... and that's why it is always worth talking to an attorney who actually knows how the system works ...

Bill_S

I knew that

I should have added that an experienced lawyer would have many more questions than that.

cathy22w

I got my H1B in 2003, with premium processing, and started work in September.

The OP might wish to be made aware that your wife will be accompanying on an H4 visa and will be unable to work under the conditions of that visa. Might not be a problem, but not everyone realises this.

E3only

Really?

Are you able to give me a source where that can be substantiated? I am certainly not an expert but the fact that many doggy agencies are able to secure H1B's for Indian/Chinese and bench them tells me a lot about the process.

I am not playing Dr. Phil here but pointing that that from my research/knowledge H1B is a ramdom exercise. How about the fact that the 400+ applications (in a good standing economy) are never manually reviewed?

I am happy to be proved wrong if someone can point me to an 'offical' source.

md95065

Yes.
No - I speak only from my personal experience of working in the software industry in the US for over 20 years, having started out on an H1-B visa myself, having hired and worked with many people with H1-B visas and never having seen someone who was appropriately qualified be denied a visa.
I am not suggesting that the H1-B process is perfect and nor was I commenting on fact that some companies abuse the system (although I have to point out that abuse is not limited to Indian or Chinese workers and that pretty much all of the Indians and Chinese that I have worked with have been more than qualified for the visas and positions that they held) - I was simply responding to (and disagreeing with) what appeared to me to be an unsubstantiated and inaccurate statement that the process was "random"
Good to see that you too speak from personal experience!
I am not quite sure which "400+" applications you are referring to here ...

Are you able to give me a source where that can be substantiated?

As far as I know the only "random" part of the H1-B process is the selection of which petitions get processed when the number of petitions exceeds the cap on the number of visas available.

Duncan Roberts

Would that be considered a job and experience worthy of a visa? I don't know but it sounds like a job tens of thousands of people would be qualified to do that are already here.

Marocco

My understanding is that if the job requires a university degree then it is usually considered a "specialty occupation" for the purposes of H1B.

madwa

Thanks for all the answers and information, its a real help.

Really appreciate it.

caleyjag

The only way your company can expedite this is if they go for O1. Otherwise H1b and October it is.

This is what happened to me last year - October was considered too long for the project, so we went for the long shot and tried for the O1.

Getting the O1 was EXTREMELY difficult and based on what you have said (it sounds like you are young) it seems unlikely.

So it looks like October start for you.